World Try Of The Year Shortlist Named

World Try Of The Year Shortlist Named

World Rugby has announced the short list for World Try of the Year

Nov 9, 2017 by Alex Goff
World Try Of The Year Shortlist Named

Courtesy of World Rugby

World Rugby has released its shortlist for the International Rugby Players’ Association (IRPA) Try of the Year 2017, with the winner to be announced at the World Rugby Awards in Monte Carlo on Nov. 26.

The shortlist of four nominees includes two solo tries: New Zealand winger Portia Woodman’s score in the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 semifinal against the USA and Georgia scrumhalf Gela Aprasidze’s effort in the World Rugby U20 Championship. They are joined by scores finished off by Argentina fullback Joaquin Tuculet and British and Irish Lions flanker Sean O’Brien.

The four tries were selected by the IRPA Try of the Year panel of former players: Stefan Terblanche and Andries Pretorius of South Africa, Hale T-Pole of Tonga, and Ireland’s Isaac Boss.

The winner, though, will be determined by rugby fans on Twitter, with the public vote beginning today and ending on Nov. 26. Guests at the World Rugby Awards will be able to view and cast their votes before the accolade is presented later in the evening.

A specific voting poll is now live on World Rugby’s Twitter page, and fans are encouraged to visit to cast their vote.


WATCH: 2017 Try of the Year nominees


GELA APRASIDZE – #VoteAprasidze

The diminutive Georgia scrumhalf had grabbed the headlines for his long-range penalties at the World Rugby U20 Championship, but in the ninth-place playoff against Ireland he used his quick feet to run in a solo try from 60 meters out. He sidestepped the first defender and darted through a gap, twisting one way and then the other before stepping inside the last line of defense to score and bring the Georgian crowd to its feet at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi.

SEAN O’BRIEN – #VoteOBrien

The move began deep in the Lions’ 22 when Liam Williams stood up New Zealand captain Kieran Read and took off across the Eden Park pitch. He made it to halfway before finding his fellow Welshman, Jonathan Davies, the center combining with Elliot Daly before popping the ball out to the supporting O’Brien five meters from the line to add the finishing touch as halftime approached in the first test of the series.

JOAQUIN TUCULET – #VoteTuculet

Another breakout that began deep in a team’s own 22 after Juan Manuel Leguizamon fielded an England kick in their first test with Argentina in San Juan and the ball found its way to Matias Orlando, the center slicing through the visitor’s defense with ease. He found Emiliano Boffelli in support, the test debutant straightening the attack before releasing Tuculet to sprint away from the England defense to finish off the free-flowing move.

PORTIA WOODMAN – #VoteWoodman

A New Zealand scrum on the USA 10-meter line provided an attacking platform midway through the first half of this Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 semifinal and Woodman needed no second invitation. Having switched to the left wing, she came infield to collect the pass from scrumhalf Kendra Cocksedge and then danced her way through the defense, changing direction and switching hands several times to leave five defenders in her wake before diving under the posts for her 10th try of the tournament — and first of four in the match.